Steel plate transfer device



Aug. 30, 1966 J. H. REIGHART STEEL PLATE TRANSFER DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 21. 1964 zwr INVEIIJTOR. June If. Reb q] 9M0, W& 4%

ATTORNEYS Aug. 30, 1966 J- H. REIGHART 3,269,501

' STEEL PLATE TRANSFER DEVICE Filed Aug. 21, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet z INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS 3,269,501 lc Patented August 30, 1966 3,269,501 STEEL PLATE TRANSFER DEVICE June H. Reighart, 1991 Lee Road, Cleveland, Ohio Filed Aug. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 391,261

6 Claims. (Cl. 193--35) The invention relates to transfer devices for conveying steel plates, sheets and the like to or from any desired apparatus, and more particularly to such a device in the form of a portable, conveyor table.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a device of the character referred to in the form of an adjustable ball conveyor table for quick and easy adjustment to transfer plates or sheets of different widths.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a transfer device in which conventional transfer balls may be used.

A further object of the invention is to provide a transfer device of this character comprising a base plate having three parallel rows of transfer ball stands thereon, the two outermost rows of transfer ball stands having angular arms supporting the conveyor balls.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a transfer device of the character referred to, in which each of the transfer ball stands is detachably mounted in a tubular base member attached to the base plate.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a transfer device of this type in which means is provided for holding said stands with angular arms in adjusted position relative to the corresponding tubular base member.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a transfer device in which each tubular base member in each outer row has notches 90 apart in its upper edge, and each transfer ball stand with angular ball supporting arm has a gusset plate for selective engagement in either of said notches for holding the same in adjusted position.

A further object of the invention is to generally improve and simplify transfer devices of the character referred to.

The above and other objects, apparent from the draw ings and following description, may be attained, the above described difiiculties overcome and the advantages and results obtained, by the apparatus, construction, arrange ments and combinations, subcombinations and parts which comprise the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which, illustrative of the best mode in which applicant has contemplated applying the principle, being set forth in detail in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the base plate with three rows of tubular base members attached thereto, the conveyor ball stands being removed therefrom;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a transfer device embodying the invention, adjusted for transferring sheets of maximum width;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, transverse, sectional view through the transfer device;

FIG. 4 is an end elevation of the transfer device with the conveyor ball stands adjusted for plates or sheets of medium width; and

FIG. 5 is a similar view showing the same adjusted for transferring plates or sheets of minimum width.

Referring now more particularly to the embodiment of the invention illustrated, in which similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout, the device is shown as mounted upon a portable base plate 1. This base plate may be a rectangular plate of steel, or the like, which may be easily transported around any mill, shop, or the like, for location upon the floor adjacent to any desired apparatus, or equipment, and from which plates, sheets or the like may be conveyed or transferred.

Three parallel, longitudinally disposed, rows of tubular base members are shown attached to the upper surface of the base plate 1, as by welding. The central row of these base members is made up of the tubular members 2, open at their upper ends, the lower ends thereof being welded to the base plate 1, as indicated at 3.

The two outer rows comprise the tubular base members 4, welded at their lower ends to the base plate 1, as indicated at 5. The upper end of each of the base members 4 is provided with vertical notches 6, located apart.

The tubular base members 2 and 4 may comprise sections of suitable length of conventional pipe, or seamless tubing. Each of these tubular base members is adapted to receive the lower end of a transfer ball stand. These transfer ball stands may also be formed of sections of conventional pipe, or seamless tubing, of suitable diameter to permit their being quickly and easily inserted into, or removed from, the tubular base members.

Each of the transfer ball stands, for insertion into the central row of tubular base members 2, comprises a straight section of pipe or tubing 7, the upper end of which is screw-threaded, as at 8, to receive a conventional transfer ball assembly comprising a socket member 9 with transfer ball 10 rotatably mounted therein.

Each of the transfer ball stands, for insertion into the tubular base members 4 of the two outer rows, as in dicated generally at 11, is of angular construction comprising the upright pipe section 12, the horizontal, or angular, arm 13, and the upper arm 14, all of which may be formed of the same diameter of conventional pipe or seamless tubing.

The upper end of the upper section 14 is screw threaded as at 15, to receive a conventional transfer ball assembly comprising the socket member 9 and transfer ball 10 rotatably mounted therein. Each of the horizontal or angular arms 13 is supported by a gusset plate 16, which is adapted to be selectively received in any one of the vertical notches 6 in the upper edge of the corresponding base member 4, depending upon the relative position in which the transfer ball stand 11 is inserted into the tubular base member 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the transfer ball stands in each outer row are positioned with the horizontal or angular arms 13 disposed outwardly. Thus, the transfer balls 10 in the two outer rows are located at the maximum distance from the transfer balls 10 of the center row, so as to accommodate plates or sheets of maximum width.

As shown in FIG. 4, the transfer ball stands at the right side remain with the arms 13 thereof disposed outwardly, while the transfer ball stands 11 at the left side have been turned so that the arms 13 are disposed inwardly, thus placing the transfer balls 10 of this left side outer row closer to the center. This will accommodate plates or sheets of medium width.

In order to accommodate plates or sheets of minimum width, the transfer ball stands 11 of both outer rows are turned inwardly, as shown in FIG. 5, locating the balls 10 thereof closer to the center. It will be understood, of course, that the transfer ball stands 7 and 11 are so constructed that the tops of all of the transfer balls 10 will be located in substantially the same horizontal plane, so that plates, sheets, or the like being transferred thereon will be supported by all of the transfer balls of the device.

From the above it will be obvious that the device is easily transportable and may be conveyed from one location to another as desired. If necessary, in order to permit easy handling thereof, the transfer ball stands 7 and 11 may be removed from the tubular base members 2 and 4 respectively, so as to lighten the weight of the base plate 1, for quick and easy movement thereof from place to place as desired.

When the base plate is located in desired position, the transfer ball stands 7 and 11 may be quickly and easily mounted by inserting the lower ends thereof into the corresponding tubular base members 2 and 4, as the case may be, the gusset plates 16 engaging the proper notches 6 in the tubular base members 4 to hold the arms 13 in desired adjusted angular position.

In the foregoing description certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such words are used for descriptive purposes herein and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiments of the improved construction illustrated and described herein are by way of example, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the exact details of construction.

Having now described the invention or discovery, the construction, the operation, and use of preferred embodiments thereof, and the advantageous new and useful results obtained thereby; the new and useful construction, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art, are set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A transfer device of the character described comprising base means, spaced upright tubular base members fixed to said base means, upright transfer ball standards having their lower ends detachably mounted in said tubular base members, transfer balls rotatably mounted upon the upper ends of said standards, certain of said standards having angular arms intermediate their upper and lower ends, and means for holding said angular arms in adjusted position relative to the corresponding tubular base members.

2. A transfer device of the character described comprising a base plate, spaced rows of upright tubular base members fixed to the top of said base plate, upright transfer ball standards having their lower ends detachably mounted in said tubular base members, transfer balls rotatably mounted upon the upper ends of said standards, the standards in certain of said rows having angular arms intermediate their upper and lower ends, and means for holding said angular arms in adjusted position relative to the corresponding tubular base members.

3. A transfer device of the character described comprising a base plate, three spaced rows of upright tubular base members fixed to the top of said base plate, upright transfer ball standards having their lower ends detachably mounted in said tubular base members, transfer balls rotatably mounted upon the upper ends of said standards, the standards in at least one outermost row having angular arms intermediate their upper and lower ends, and means for holding said angular arms in adjusted position relative to the corresponding tubular base members.

4. A transfer device of the character described comprising a base plate, three spaced rows of upright tubular base members fixed to the top of said base plate, upright transfer ball standards having their loWer ends detachably mounted in said tubular base members, transfer balls rotatably mounted upon the upper ends of said standards, the standards in each outermost row having angular arms intermediate their upper and lower ends, and means for holding said angular arms in adjusted position relative to the corresponding tubular base members.

5. A transfer device as defined in claim 1, in which said means for holding said angular arms in adjusted position comprises a gusset plate on each of said standards for selective reception in one of a plurality of notches in the upper end of the corresponding tubular base member.

6. A transfer device of the character described comprising spaced upright tubular base members, upright transfer ball standards having their lower ends detachably mounted in said tubular base members, transfer balls rotatably mounted upon the upper ends of said standards, certain of said standards having angular arms intermediate their upper and lower ends, and means for holding said angular arms in adjusted position relative to the corresponding tubular base members.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 393,051 11/1888 Aiken. 1,322,808 11/1919 Mikaelson.

OTHER REFERENCES Pamphlet entitled: New type of Handling Equipment by Mathews3 pages received in us. Patent Oifice Mar. 24, 1932.

EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

ANDRES H. NIELSEN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TRANSFER DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING BASE MEANS, SPACED UPRIGHT TUBULAR BASE MEMBERS FIXED TO SAID BASE MEANS, UPRIGHT TRANSFER BALL STANDARDS HAVING THEIR LOWER ENDS DETACHABLY MOUNTED IN SAID TUBULAR BASE MEMBERS, TRANSFER BALLS ROTATABLY MOUNTED UPON THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID STANDARDS, CERTAIN OF SAID STANDARDS HAVING ANGULAR ARMS INTERMEDIATE THEIR UPPER AND LOWER ENDS, AND MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID ANGULAR ARMS IN ADJUSTED POSITION RELATIVE TO THE CORRESPONDING TUBULAR BASE MEMBERS. 